Steven Pertubal:  

OK, my life, in a nutshell... Well, high school was a weed-induced fog that I don't remember too well. I bounced between Delano and China Lake from the 4th grade till high school graduation due to the parents being divorced and all. After HS, I knew I was going nowhere fast, picking grapes was no fun, so I joined the Navy (wonder why?) and became an Electronics Technician (bottom of my class). After my first hitch, I got restless, got out and went to school. Went to Bakersfield Community College, majored in Electronics (bottom of my class) took me 3 years, but got an AS. So, I was ready to go to work, right at the start of the Recession of '81... After some dead-end jobs and some soul-searching, I went back into the Navy. Life was looking up. In 85, I married Leah, such a lovely woman, (she's such a saint!). She got me turned around for the better. Stopped smoking and drinking... as much... In 86, we had a daughter, Rachel and in 87, we welcomed Steven II. We were stationed at NAS Lemoore and then, the Navy screwed me and sent me orders to the USS Peleliu (LHA-5). That was the worst two years of hell in my life. So bad that I decided to get out again. We had bought a house in Hanford, so with 12 years active duty, I got out again. Started with the dead-end jobs again and waited for the "90 day window to re-enlist" counting down. Fortunately, the Post Office called and I became a mail carrier. I've been with the PO since '89 and "worked" my way up to my present position as an Electronics Technician. My family has got to be my greatest accomplishment and such a source of great emotion. My wife, Leah, just brought out the better part of me and I can only hope that I have been a positive in her life as well...(ha) My children are like the total opposite of me... good-looking, friendly, out-going, smart, confident, never smoked, and don't party (as much), play sports. joined the clubs, etc... They have beautiful, straight white teeth and got contacts and haircuts and socially acceptable clothing. They stay on the computer a little too long and play too many video games, but they really are perfect models of middle class suburbia. I, on the other hand, still struggle with my identity, it's "enough". Good enough, average... BOOOORING! "Smart enough" not to totally go down the wrong path, but NOT smart enough to capitalize on the electronics stocks when I was on the ground floor in 74. I was pretty "buff" when I was in the Navy, but now, it's enough. I went from a 28 inch waist in HS to 30 in at 30 and 32 in at age 40, now I struggle to keep a 34 waist. That's 50 pounds since HS... but I'm getting back to working out and hopefully, that will regress. We have the 4 bedroom, two story with pool and spa, and it's enough... not bad, but nothing special. Oh, and a garage with "project cars" while the newer cars sit in the driveway. I ...Expand for more